Girl Named Phoenix

Girl Named Phoenix (Flash fiction)

A virgin heart so innocent and pure. A pink and yellow aura blooming in the light. She walked around the world bathed in a glimmering glow. Her eyes wide in wonder at the beautiful place she lived in. Her cheeks all rosy and smile shining bright, she began her journey down the road of life.

The sun begins to sink below the horizon, darkness swallowed every beam of light. The trees sway from the picked up wind. Thunder rolls from storm clouds covering the sky. The air fills with hissing whispers; their words sting her cheeks. "Disgusting, skinny freak. Don't feel bad, a lot people have no talent. How are you out in public? Did someone leave your cage open?" As she walks, every twig she snaps startles her, and her paths begin to twist. Directions that were once clear lead her to haunting places. Her steps are taken in fear, the future now lays uncertain.

Demons burst up from the ground, cackles so chilling, they freeze her down to the core. They tie chains around, making her trip and fall. Their sticks and stones break her bones but their words send even more destructive blows to her heart. With every slit wound, trickle of blood, she cries out for help. "Someone please save me," No one responds. Her usual glow begins fading, everything becomes hard and black. Her once dazzling, pearl smile is gone, and in its place, a frozen stoic expression.

The demons eventually leave her; she lays on the ground shattered and lifeless. She doesn't make an effort to advance anymore, for her bright future seems to have disappeared. The days are mostly spent running, running and hiding from her fears and ghosts. The past is obsessed over, melodrama clouding her clarity to see things logically anymore. Nothing is able to heal and her heart slowly goes numb. She tries to put on a good outer face, to be happy around others. Yet, her weary heart remains throbbing beneath all the masks. Scars glow red from all the betrayal. Any built up strength turns frail. She denies any problems, says she's moved on. But she forgets the pieces burrowed far beneath the surface.

After a while, some peace seems to be found. People begin to love and accept her and a flicker of hope is lit. Ropes of struggle and burden once again pull her down. She thrashes around, trying to free herself. Every last emotion, every painful memory, the dark thoughts that keep her from falling asleep every night; their steel grip grabs ahold of her and don't let go. She grows tired from all the voices in her head, all the trauma. Her concealed bottles of sorrow burst and stream out like a waterfall. Others try to help her, to piece together her broken heart, but none are able to. The storm inside rages on and the billowing fires overtake her heart and burn it to ashes.

The ashes pile up on the ground, embers keeping their steam. Everyone around her stood in shock at never realizing the extent of her pain. Gold light then floods the area, the girl reemerges. Glorious, profound wings graced her body, its feathers created by the brightest ruby red and mandarin orange flames. Her heartbeat boomed aloud with courage and strength.

Born from pieces of nothing, her life was unexpected to continue after the world broke her with such a catastrophic force. Yet, a beautiful creature was born from the shed blood and ashes. A beautifully and wonderfully made girl. A girl who lets go of all her ghosts, who rejoices in all the good surrounding her, who accepts that bad things happen and will move forward with a positive outlook for the future. Most importantly however, a girl who loves herself completely, who does not change for others or dwell on past and future rejections, because her life is already full of people of who love her and will. A girl named Phoenix.